Is It? Is It Really?
by ImAFreakingMonkey -Meg
Summary: Megan Ursaki is District Twelve's female tribute in the 74th Hunger Games. She is a tough, sarcastic 14 year old girl, and doesn't respect authority at all. But when she shows her skills in training, the Careers are suddenly interested in her. She and 16 year old Cato seem to develop a keen interest for each other even though she keeps telling herself it's just another game. Is it?
1. Chapter 1

**Here I am. Megan Ursaki. 14 years old and picked as District Twelve's female tribute for the 74th Hunger Games.**

**I remember reaping day. When Effie Trinket called my name and I stood there, shocked that I got picked to die in front of all of Panem.**

**I walked to the bottom of the stage and stared at Effie's hand, outstretched toward me, waiting to help me up the three steps onto the stage. I didn't accept it, just stepped up myself and stared at the faces of the citizens of District 12. Most of them I knew.**

**I'm not the best at making friends, I'm more of the strong and silent type of person. But I had traded squirrels or berries or some sort of food from my weekly hunting trips with most of these people.**

**But friendship and love only go so far when it comes to the Games.**

**I decide that I will show no emotion other than my bitter hatred for these Capitol people. For the Capitol itself, that they pit innocent kids against eachother to die without a say in the matter every year.**

**"You must be Megan!" Effie says to me.**

**"No. I'm President Snow, what does it look like?" I bite back sarcastically. There are a couple light chuckles in the crowd. I look to Effie and she is appalled that I showed so much disrespect toward her. I raise one eyebrow and shrug my shoulders, showing that I really don't care, and stand waiting for her to call upon the male tribute.**

**"Well. I never..." Effie clears her throat, adjusts her pink wig, and walks over to the bowl filled with the names of all the boys, muttering something about manners. "Let's get on with the male tribute, shall we?"**

**Her pale hand quickly dives in the bowl and comes back out with a slip of paper held in between two fingers. She walks back to the microphone and gives me a glare before she looks to the audience.**

**"And our male tribute is..." She opens the slip of paper. "Jake Malcolm."**

**A section of fifteen year old boys spread out and a tall boy with wild brown hair is standing alone in the middle of the empty circle around him.**

**"Come on." Effie says quietly**

**The boy walks up on stage looking quite scared, but obviously trying to hide it.**

**"Let's give a warm round of applause for our District Twelve tributes of the seventy-fourth Hunger Games!" Effie claps, but nobody else does.**

**We are taken by Peacekeepers to the Justice Building and are placed in separate rooms with velvet couches to await anyone who wants to say some last goodbyes.**

**I do not expect anyone to come in, as I have no family left. Both my parents are dead, and I never had any siblings. Father died in a mining explosion and mother died of sickness, brought on by the grief and sadness of my father's death.**

**I wasn't allowed to live alone so I was put in to a house with a family who didn't really care about me. I was the one who was taking all the more risk by entering my name 6 more times each year for tesserae. I am only 14 and my name has been entered 21 times already. I was the one who goes out every weekend and hunts for food to keep the family alive.**

**The only reason I still stay there is because of six year old May, who is the only one in the family who cares about me as I do her. I take the tesserae for her. The family isn't very wealthy, and the parents won't risk their own kids entering their names more times do they tell me to.**

**And to my surprise, May comes walking through the door, tears streaming down her face.**

**"Hey, hey I'll be ok. Don't worry." I try to soothe her as much as I can.**

**"You'll come back, right?" She asks, her brown eyes staring up into mine as she sits on my lap. "You hunt all the time."**

**"Yes. I'll come back. I promise." I smile down at her. She is the only person in this world I would do anything for. And that included winning the 74th Hunger Games.**

**"Will you wear this?" May handed me a necklace that I made for her a year ago. It was a carved rock with a hole through the top and a string through it. She had worn it every day and now she is giving it to me. "So you are safe." She whispers.**

**I only have time to put it around my neck and give her a quick big before Peacekeepers barge in and tell us that time is up.**

**"Meg! No!" She shouts, crying again as the Peacekeepers drag her out the door.**

**"I'll be ok May, I promise!" And with that, she is gone.**


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: I can't believe people are actually reading this! :3 Well anyways, thanks so much! But please PLEASE give me more Reviews… I'm not posting the next chapter until this has at least 5 reviews… tell your friends! Tell your Family! Tell the old hobo that lives in the back alleyway by your house! … idk. So you're probably getting tired of me going on so lets get to the story! **_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games or any of the characters in this except Meg, and Jake, and May, and a couple others along the way. If I did own The Hunger Games**__**, it would have gone like this…**_

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And here I am now. In the Capitol, eating breakfast, waiting for Effie to take Jake Malcolm and I to training.

The opening ceremonies were a hit. My stylist, Cinna dressed me and Jake in an unforgettable costume. It was a black unitard with extended designs on the shoulder, a long black cape, and an elegant headpiece to top it off. My hair was kept how I like it. In one long braid down reaching the middle of my back.

I looked at myself in the mirror, and I looked pretty amazing. The costume made me look tall and strong. There was only minimal makeup applied, as Cinna wanted Panem to see my 'natural beauty'. And my hair was done up nicely with my side bangs falling just on front of my left eye. The only thing Cinna changed about my hair, was putting in three purple streaks. One in my bangs, and two in other parts of my hair.

District 12 definitely stole the show of the opening ceremonies. As Jake and I stepped on to the carriage, Cinna put something on our capes that set them on fire! We were a force to be reckoned with, holding hands as Cinna instructed and blowing kisses to the crowd of hysterical Capitol citizens.

I honestly hated these people, disgusted by their cheering for us. Cheering for us to go and die in a matter of weeks. But I have to keep up an act in order for me to have any chance of gaining sponsors.

I am snapped out of thought by Haymitch asking me a question.

"So, Megan. What are you good at?" he asks, biting into a biscuit.

"I told you, I don't like being called Megan." I said to Haymitch. "Only Meg."

"Our do you prefer to be called President Snow?" Jake says as he walks in the room, referring to my sarcastic remark to Effie at the reaping.

"Ha ha. Very funny." I narrow my eyes at Jake, causing him to smirk as he sits down and serves himself breakfast.

"Ok since Meg obviously doesn't want to answer me, Jake, what are you god at anyways." Haymitch asked, annoyed.

"Well... Nothing really. I mean, I'm kinda strong. I wrestle some of the kids at school." He replies sheepishly.

"Oh come on. You have wrestled the biggest, strongest guys and you still win. You're very strong, not kinda strong. Don't downplay your abilities when they could be your chance at winning." I say to him.

"Oh yeah? Well Meg is a hunter! I've seen her come back with tons of game shot clean through the eye with a bow and arrow. And she is amazing with knives!"

"Ok hold on. I'm not some-" Jake interrupts me.

"Hey, you said not to downplay your abilities. Besides, who says I'm going to win anyways? I'm no good with weapons and that's what everyone else will have! I'll fire on the first day!"

"No you won't. Stop it." I try to remind myself to stop getting involved in this. I came here to win, not to make friends. I just hope I won't have to be the one who kills Jake...

"Hey, hey! Well whatever it is you two are good at, don't show out at training. Only private sessions am I clear?" Haymitch says.

"Why wouldn't we want to show it? I mean we're trying to intimidate the other tributes... right?" I am confused. Haymitch didn't get to answer because Effie walks in and pulls is from our seats to head down to training.

"Ok. We've got a big, big, big day! Do you have fun and show those tributes what you're made of! Effie has a huge smile on her face as she drags Jake and I into the elevator.

"Just remember what I said. Don't do anything you're good at!" Haymitch says as the elevator door closes, seperating us.

We make it down to training and see that we are the second to last pair of tributes to arrive. Everyone is standing in a circle, silently waiting for others to show up.

I survey my competition. There are sone unfortunate people here, like a boy with a very bad leg who can barely walk, another boy who is so small and thin that even little May could easily take him down, and a dark skinned girl who looked to be about 12. She was small, but not skinny like the other boy. I still regret her being here, as she is so young.

But there is also people I should probably watch out for. The Carrers, obviously. I can easily spot them, for they are the ones who are smiling, looking at the rest of us like we are fresh meat. There is a tall boy who I know is from District 1, and his partner tribute, a blonde girl who is eying up the boy tribute from 2.

I spot a short, dark haired girl who is staring intently at the knives on a rack across the room, obviously itching to get her hands on them. And her partner tribute, a tall, muscular blonde boy who looks around 16.

He sees me looking at him and I quickly refocus my eyes on the camouflage station where an array of paints and brushes waiting for someone to pick them up.

I glance back at him and he has a smirk playing at his lips. He clearly saw me looking at him. What did he think I was doing? I most certainly wasn't looking at him like the girl from 1 was. This is the Hunger Games, not the Dating Games.

I roll my eyes and shift my weight to one foot, not really listening to what the lady -Atala I think her name is -says about training. I already know the basic rules: no hurting another tribute, and try to impress the Gamemakers.

Hold on. If we are trying to impress the Gamemakers, then why did Haymitch tell us not to do anything we are good at? What a piece of useless advice that was.

But once Atala let's us go to the stations, I decide to follow Jake to Camouflage. I am a pretty good artist and I end up painting my arm so it blends right in with some moss on a tree trunk. Jake is impressed.

"Whoa. Where'd you learn that?" he asks, staring at my hand in awe.

"I always loved to paint a lot at home. I have been teaching May to do it too and..." I stop talking and stare at the ground.

"Well it's pretty cool. I'm going to go off to the rope tying station. Care to join me?" Jake says, changing the subject.

"No I think I'll try edible plants or something. Catch you later." I say, wiping the paint off my skin.

I pass the edible plants test without batting an eye. I hunt in the woods. It comes naturally to me. I soon get bored with it and walk around the room, watching the other tributes throw spears and knives. I look to the archery station and see the girl from District 1 wielding a bow and arrow. She releases the arrow and it goes flying through the air and hits the dummy. It's not a very good hit though, for it has completely missed the target. This girl is noticeably incompetent with a bow.


	3. Chapter 3

**_Well, guys i am sorry to say that I didn't get 5 reviews for this chapter... but I guess I can't really expect that when I am just starting off. :P Anyways, I hope you like this and thank you to the people who DID review! especially to luvkatnisseverdeen for reading my stuff from the beginning! She is also a great author and you guys should check out her stories too! they are truly amazing. _****  
**

**_Lets Get on to the story! _**

**_P.S. - I'm sorry i haven't updated in a while, i am grounded and my tablet got taken away, which is what i have all my chapters on. so i will not be able to update once a week like i planned. :( i don't even think i am supposed to be on here now... I think i will just have to rewrite it from here, and hope that you guys aren't too mad at me for messing it up. SORRY! LOVE YOU! 3_**

**_P.P.S.S - I am sorry these chapters are so short to those who have said that in the reviews. like i said before, i don't have my device that all the chapters are on so i have had to try and put together a rewritten edition. I have absolutely no idea if or when i will get it back. although, there shouldn't be any excuses for this, and i just have to blame myself and the fact that i am not really that good. Writers block kills. _**

**_Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games books or any of the characters in this story except for Meg, Jake, May, and a couple others along the way. If I DID own the story, it would have gone like this..._**

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Chapter Three

It is lunchtime and I sit at an empty table, alone as I like to be.

I cast my eyes around the room looking for Jake and see him at a table across the room sitting alone too. He doesn't notice me looking at him and I really don't feel like talking to someone right now so I decide not to invite him over.

Still, I again observe the other tributes and see what sort of packs they have formed on the first day of training.

The Careers are evidently sitting together as they do every year, chatting loudly to each other and laughing - probably talking about which unfortunate tributes they will slaughter first.

The District 2 boy is glancing around and I can't help but notice his bright blue eyes, how they shine with triumph and glee before the Games have even started.

I scowl and return to poking my salad with my fork. Then I feel someone slide into the seat next to me.

"You know you're not going to be very strong in the arena if you don't eat." Jake's voice tells me.

"Yeah well you aren't going to be very strong in the arena with a broken neck now are ya?" I retort.

He is taken aback by my sudden rudeness. "And why would I have a broken neck?"

"Well you will if you don't learn to stop pushing peoples buttons who are already angry as it is!"

"What's wrong with you?"

"Hmm, let's see. Um, my whole life has been horrible what with my parents being dead and the family I live with being complete idiots. And now I am a tribute in the Hunger Games where I'm probably going to die. Now you can tell me why that gives me a reason to be happy at this moment ok?" Jake is silent. "Yeah. That's what I thought. You can get back to me when you come up with something." I pat his cheek twice and get up to go back to training. Lunch is almost over anyways.

Once we are all released back into training, I decide I don't care what Haymitch said about not showing your talents. I storm over to the knife throwing station, grab six of the deadliest looking blades, and start throwing them at the moving dummies, hitting the bulls-eye every time.

I sense someone's gaze boring into the back of my head so I turn around and find all of the Careers looking at me, quite impressed at my knife throwing skills. The blonde boy from District 2 gives a nod to the others and raises his eyebrows at me. I stare daggers back at him and turn around to head to the rope tying station where I see Jake.

"Hey, you were pretty good at the knife throwing but don't you remember what Haymitch -"

"I don't give a damn what Haymitch said Jake. Just let me do what I want." I furiously tie a knot in the length of rope I am given and earn a look of approval from the instructor.

After training is over, all tributes are told to go back to their quarters and get a good night sleep for tomorrow.

Training is the same every day, except I try to listen to Haymitch about the not showing my skills thing after Jake told him what I did and we got into a spat about it.

The Careers still stare at me intently, but never make a move to come near me. It sets me at unease but I try to ignore it as best I can.

The days drag on until it is time we go to the center and show the Gamemakers our talents to earn a final score that could make or break out chance of getting sponsors.

"Now you can show them your skills with those weapons." Haymitch states before we go.

"Alright. But what if -" I start.

"Nope. No buts. Just show them your best and see what happens. If you're as good as Jake says you are, then you'll be fine."

"Yes, but what if I'm not."

"Then you show them when you're in the arena. Now go."

So with that, I head down to the center and try to think of what I'm going to do to impress them...


End file.
